Who doesn’t love the smell of a freshly cleaned fridge? The cold air hits your nose, you are greeted with that fresh lemon scent, and it feels like everything is right. But what if there was no smell at all? Or worse yet, an awful stench emanating from inside? It’s not hard to clean a refrigerator; it just takes some time and effort. We’ve put together this handy guide for cleaning out your refrigerator so you can get back to appreciating those beautiful smells!
Why is it Important to Clean Inside Fridge?
There are several reasons why it is essential to keep your fridge clean. The first reason mentioned above is that the foul odor coming from a dirty refrigerator can be highly annoying for everyone in your household or office building. A second reason that may have nothing to do with you directly but still affects you: food safety! It’s always better not to take any chances when it comes to pathogens invading our homes.
Cleaning the inside of your fridge correctly will help ensure that no harmful bacteria are allowed into its interior, which could lead to cross-contamination if anything laid out on the kitchen counter were ever placed back onto an unclean shelf after being contaminated by some other product. This would all affect how well preserved certain foods are kept. If you have ever opened up your fridge and found some products growing mold, then the inside of your refrigerator is not clean enough!
Commercial Products or Homemade Cleaners?
You can save money by making your cleaning solutions, but keep in mind that commercial ones may be more effective simply because they contain extra chemicals to help dissolve dirt particles that will inevitably stick to surfaces once exposed. Commercial-based cleaners usually come with their scrubbers, too, allowing for a much cleaner overall finish after deep cleansing has occurred. You could always try one out first before committing to buying yet another bottle if it doesn’t work well for you. There are plenty of methods on how best to make these at home too.
Deep Clean a Smelly Fridge
First, you want to make sure your food is safe and not going bad. Food poisoning is never a good thing. You also don’t want bacteria and germs growing in there because they can cause an array of health issues for people living with immunity problems or the elderly. Not only that, but it’s just gross if things start rotting inside your fridge, making it smell like old cheese or, worse yet, sour milk! So what do we do? How do we clean our refrigerator without breaking the bank by buying all these expensive chemicals? It’s easier than you think; here are some quick tips on how to get rid of the stench inside your fridge:
-Throw away any expired food. Clean the refrigerator shelves and drawers with a bleach solution: Mix one part water to three parts white vinegar in a spray bottle and use it on all surfaces of your fridge, including inside compartments and under the bottom tray where spills tend to accumulate over time. Rinse thoroughly when finished.
-Clean and deodorize with bicarbonate soda: Pour generous amounts of baking powder on all shelves and in the bottom tray. Add a few drops of vanilla to give it an extra kick since your fridge will smell like dessert for a little while. Let sit overnight before wiping away the excess with paper towels or rags.
-Clean up any spills right away, especially around rubber door gaskets that need regular lubrication due to wear and tear from opening and closing them frequently over time. Use olive oil sparingly—just enough to restore their flexibility without making everything slippery! Replace old dryer sheets with new ones after cleaning each drawer or shelf compartment, so they don’t start smelling musty again too quickly.
-Do not stuff your fridge packed to the brim with food so that air can circulate properly. Leave space on shelves for milk bottles and other tall items while storing smaller containers in drawers beneath them where they are more easily accessible when you need them.
Clean and Disinfect the Inside of Fridge
Here are our simple steps for cleaning out your refrigerator! We cannot stress enough how much easier it will make future fridge cleaning tasks if you get this problem sorted out now!
Nobody likes having someone mess up a good clean by accident because somebody else was unaware of safety precautions like these. That would be frustrating for everybody involved, so always remember: Unplug Before Cleaning!
Firstly, it’s important to unplug your fridge. So many people forget about the simple step of shutting off their appliances before they start scrubbing away at all those dirty shelves and drawers. This is especially true when dealing with bleach or other harsh chemicals which could cause damage to electrical components in your refrigerator should any spillage occur while plugged in. Ensure that everyone knows not to touch anything until plugging back in once the job has been completed!
Secondly, remove all items from your fridge and place them either in a safe space outside of the refrigerator or onto countertops so that you can access every part of the inside. Keep any food sealed well if there is still some time before it needs to be used again!
Next, take out both drawers and shelves within your appliance one by one. Have your trusty cloth ready for use when removing each piece, as this will help make sure nothing gets scratched up in transit/removal, which could lead to damage later on down the line once everything has been put back into its proper places. You may also want to spray down these pieces after removing them just because it’s helpful sometimes not having to get too much cleaning fluid everywhere accidentally while trying to get the job done!
Once everything has been removed, you can now wipe down each part before placing it back in its proper place. This will make sure that any smudges or spills on the shelves and drawers are dealt with immediately, so nothing gets left behind to attract dirt later on down the line when things start getting messy again. It all helps if we take care of these minor issues right from day one instead of fixing them up only after they’ve become a much more severe problem for us! Here are the next steps on cleaning inside of fridge:
- Clean inside the fridge by using baking soda & vinegar mixed with some hot water for extra cleaning power on those tough stains that have been there forever. Just mix about ½ cup each into a spray bottle full of warm water and spritz away on all areas where food has touched down, leaving behind its awful smells lingering around even after washing them off before putting food back in the fridge. This will create a chemical reaction breaking up all those nasty smells so your refrigerator can smell fresh again!
- Another great idea when it comes to getting rid of odors from inside fridges is through lemon peels. They are known for their cleaning properties when freshening up the air, so why not use them on your fridge? All you have to do is cut a few lemon peels in half, place them inside the refrigerator and then close the door. This will give off that fresh lemony smell while clearing out all those nasty odors!
- This works great if you want something more natural instead of using harmful chemicals or baking soda & vinegar mixed. Just take some water with just enough dish soap added into it until bubbles start forming around ½ cup; mix this solution in a spray bottle and spritz away on areas where food has touched down, leaving behind an awful stench lingering after washing it clean like before putting things back into the fridge. This will create a chemical reaction breaking up all those nasty smells leaving your refrigerator smelling fresh once again!
If you have been particularly neglectful when it comes to keeping on top of this task, then we would perhaps recommend booking or scheduling an appointment with a professional cleaner who deals with this kind of thing all the time and has access to products that aren’t generally accessible by others or even available at convenience stores.
More Tips for Cleaning Inside Fridge
Please open the door and leave it open to allow all odors inside the refrigerator or freezer compartment to escape. If you don’t, they could linger around in there, which will make a foul smell that’s even harder to get rid of later on. You should also remove everything from the inside of the appliance to clean each shelf properly.
Use a warm water solution mixed with baking soda (a couple of tablespoons) and wipe down every surface, including shelves, drawers, walls, etc. Then dry thoroughly afterward before putting back any items into the fridge again after washing them out as well!
Use white vinegar diluted (about half cup per one gallon of water) and wipe down any surfaces on your fridge. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before rinsing away and drying every area. If you want, add in some baking soda too (about two tablespoons) to further enhance its effectiveness in removing any grime or residue that may be left behind.
Use a clean cloth as well as an old toothbrush to scrub the grime away from those smaller nooks, crannies, or vents inside of your refrigerator. If you have one, use a steam cleaner to remove stains that are difficult for handwashing with just some warm soapy water to remove them from your appliance walls if needed.
Now it’s time to return everything into place! Put all food items in first, followed by condiments, etc., then put both doors back together again before closing it up completely, which should be done within 15 minutes after putting everything back inside because excellent air needs returned quickly or else problems could occur when using the refrigerator again afterward such as food spoilage due to lack of cold air being circulated inside.
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